“And he can enter frozen time,” Cash interjected, his debilitating distress exploding across our connection. “It’s a bloody gift that reversing even works on him and she was so quick to figure it out.”
Lightheaded like I’d taken a vampire punch to the noggin, I struggled to pay attention, and Jo finally relented. “I can give her blood, too.”
Cash huffed and pivoted with me still in his arms. “That won’t be necessary. I have plenty of ways of replenishing my blood so she gets all she needs. Our bond being stronger means mine will benefit her the most.”
“Whatever you say, princess.” I didn’t need to see Jo to know she was eye-rolling our Fae Karen so hard right now. I would’ve argued more if I wasn’t fighting to stay conscious.
Cash was nearly at the bedroom when he stopped. His eyes dropped to his pocket and a little stone flew out and levitated in front of us, held aloft by his magic. My eyebrows knitted together as it glowed and a voice boomed out of nowhere.
“Hey, you said nothing about other Hunters crossing over. Not very smart to let them wander around starting trouble wherever they go,” the voice said, distorted by whatever made it possible. “I’m only doing this as a favor to the little vampire by saying anything, but it’ll make it impossible to keep her obnoxious human protected if a couple of hybrids, presenting as human but being something else entirely, are out making trouble. They’ll start to suspect there are more and go after any human who could be one.”
Big.
Guess Aram wasn’t wrong. This realm was aware of hybrids.
Jo was next to us, peering across at the stone. “Hunters? Here? And they’re making trouble, why?”
It was likely Jo and I had the same thought by the way her expression went quiet. No one was meant to be able to cross overwith what Lyra had done. Nothing but a portal made sense, but no one could get through supposedly. So when and how had they managed it, and more importantly, for what reason?
Was this all some elaborate ploy orchestrated by the Organization? But why kill Lux if it was? I couldn’t make sense of anything.
“They mentioned they were here to find one of their own. Thought you Hunters were meant to be smarter than that?” he taunted.
It wasn’t much of an insult. Most Hunters were cocky and suicidal at best, ready to take their last breath for what they believed was right. They couldn’t all be Grams, Sloan, and Phillip—clever enough not to make waves.
“Did they mention who they were looking for?” I asked.
“So not anyone you know or are expecting? Fucking great. Just what I needed,” Big’s voice grumbled from the levitating stone. There was a long stretch of silence before the pixie finally answered my question. “No, you weren’t mentioned by name. They were at least that smart. But they described you and your little human friend in uncomfortable detail. It’ll make you both targets wherever you go, especially to anyone they’ve pissed off.”
My heart was doing overtime as I spiraled over the possibilities. Over what it could mean for the Hunters back home if they knew about Kate and I being taken to this realm and somehow followed us here. My problems were adding up by the hour.
“Everyone’s been in a tizzy over this pair of hybrid bastards that showed up out of nowhere in Nether territory. One’s swiping up all the magical tools he can get his hands on so he can move more efficiently in the realm and causing quite the stir with his…aggressive acquisition methods, if you catch my meaning, toots.”
There was another pause where I could’ve sworn I heard someone else’s voice in the background, but it was too hard to make out if it was male or female, let alone what they were saying.
“One of my boys crossed paths with that diabolical fucker in Lacor. Scary looking sonofabitch for a human, or so Seit tells me. You sure he’s not one of yours?” the voice came through clearer this time.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I quipped, more annoyed than I should be.
“Get to the bloody point, pixie,” Cash growled, his voice rumbling against my skin.
Jo was still in her head when I glanced at her, probably making a plan of attack now that we had a couple Hunters to take out. It was anyone’s guess who they’d sent, but what we knew now was the Organization had been keeping more secrets than any of us knew.
“No offense meant. Just doesn’t bode well for us if what Seit’s told me is true.” The voice rumbled in the background, identifiably agitated. Guess Seit didn’t appreciate being dismissed by his buddy. “Yeah, yeah, you asshole. I said I believe you, just can’t wrap my head around it, is all.”
Big grumbled under his breath, mid-argument with whoever he called Seit, not that I cared about any of that. I really wanted him to get to the point so we knew what we were up against.
Ah, this never-ending shit storm that is my life.
“Look, these hybrids have some serious skills, little vampire. They took out an entire building of Reds. Well, yeah, okay, so most of those guys have never seen a Hunter before and don’t know what they’re up against, but this guy wiped out an entire fucking groupin Nether territorywith only his buddy backup, and no one knows how. He and his partner even outmaneuveredthe Hollow Fae gang. They’re on a whole other level of powerful.”
I had no clue who the Hollow Fae gang were or what they meant to this realm, but by the sound Jo made, even she was impressed.
The voice was rumbling in the back again.
“Seit says he caught the name Phillip. That mean anything to you, little vampire? Aren’t you Hunters supposed to know each other and shoot the shit about all things hybrid?” he asked, and my heart nearly stopped at the mention of my favorite asshole’s name.
I was already out of Cash’s arms, all but forgetting my dizziness. “Did you say Phillip?!”
